Those
of us lucky enough
to live in Del
Mar are
beneficiaries of
the unintended consequences
of Del Mar’s
incorporation 50
years ago. Much
of the contentious
election for independent
cityhood pivoted
around arguments
relating to the
cost of public
services.
However, that independence
gave the residents
a sense of ownership
and control over
the way land-use
policy was set.
This has had, by
far, the greatest
impact on how our
small city has
evolved. Active
citizen involvement
produced the Community
Plan in the 1970s,
which enunciated
Del Mar’s
vision and the
guidelines
to sustain it.

Today
our attention is
again
drawn to the economic
aspects of our
public
services and shared
environment. The
City
Council justified
its
decision to shortcut
the standard stringent
and public design
review
process for the
sidewalk
cafés
now lining 15th Street
on the basis of the
city’s
economic viability.
The impacts on public
space received little
attention. While DRB
review and public input
may have slowed the
process, “The
Del Mar Way” would
certainly have resulted
in a more community-oriented
design for the cafés.
If this is typical of
a streamlined planning
process, let us hope
that the unintended
consequence is to re-invigorate
broad community effort
in retaining Del Mar’s
unique charm and character.
Unless that happens,
we may see the less
beneficial unintended
consequences of revitalization,
form-based planning,
and city staff streamlining
measures. Retaining
a sense of community
ownership of our public
space requires strong
and committed citizen
involvement.